Hughes Happenings

Greetings Hughes Families! Welcome to the 26-27 school year!

It was so great seeing all of our families at Meet the Teacher on Friday! We are ready to get this school year started!

I am so grateful to our incredible staff for all of their hard work last week getting ready to welcome our students back for an amazing new school year! I also want to thank our fantastic PTO for helping and supporting both our staff and families!

Our first day of school starts this Tuesday, August 11th at 7:50 a.m. Doors open at 7:25 a.m. and Kindergarten parents make sure to join us in the Hughes library for Tears and Cheers gathering after you drop your child off. (Monday is still an off day for students!-School starts on Tuesday!)

You are all welcome to walk your child to their classrooms on the first day. However, after that, only students will be allowed to enter the building after the first day of school.

**PARKING on the 1st Day- PLEASE READ! - You may not park in the driveway of the school front or back, only in designated parking spots anywhere around the building that are open or along the street. If you do our officer will ask you to move.

We will have busses in the front and back that will need to get in. If you are not parking and walking and just dropping off in the carline, there will be cones in front of the crosswalks and we will start at that point, so that busses can be right in front. They will leave by 7:20 and then we will start carline.

As a reminder, school starts at 7:50 a.m. and our bell rings at 3:10 p.m. Please be early or on time for arrival and dismissal.

At the bottom of this newsletter is a Dismissal Choice Form- Also linked here.

Please complete this form for each of your students. We will assign tags and/or certain areas in the school for dismissal on the first day to your student based on the information you provide in this form. We ask that your child goes home the same way each day in order to provide consistency & safety, and avoid confusion. Please complete this by Tuesday so we know how your student is getting home. Teachers will also send this form to you. Thank you for your help with this!

Topics in this newsletter:

Dress Code
Skyward and Absences
Dropping off Items
Changing How my Child Gets Home?
Visiting Hughes
Medication
Volunteering
Technology
Safety and Security at Hughes
Safety Patrol for 4th and 5th graders
Arrival and Dismissal Reminders from the last newsletter

Dress Code: What should my child wear to school?

Students are encouraged to wear closed toe shoes with rubber soles every day. They play outside every day and PE requires closed toe shoes for safety. Flip Flops are discouraged as they can be a hazard on the playground and gym.
Click here for the dress code.

Skyward Tips and Absences:

Parents should notify the school the morning their child will be absent. ALL absence notifications and notes will be submitted electronically.
Attendance Changes for 2026-2027
Doctor’s notes or other supporting documentation for an absence, may be submitted by completing the online Attendance Note Submission form and uploading your documentation within the form. Student's 8-digit ID numbers are required in order to complete the form, and may be found in Skyward Family Access. This process applies to both full-day and partial-day absences. Please note that a parent notification submitted through Skyward Family Access regarding a doctor's visit does not qualify as a doctor's note.
Skyward Absence Request
Attendance Note Submission

Item Drop Off: Can I drop off a lunch/snack/water bottle if my child forgot it?

We have a drop off area in the front foyer of the school and there are baskets with each grade level marked. If you need to drop something off, you will fill out a ticket and place it with the item and our front office staff with take it to them.**Items MUST be dropped by 10:00*** a.m.
The office staff will not accept any items after 10:00 a.m. Your child will get what they need, we have water, your child can get a lunch in the cafeteria, so not to worry!
Please do not drop off hot lunches everyday. Dropping off lunches becomes a huge problem for our teachers and staff and is a safety concern for our students if they have to come up to the office to retrieve a lunch. I truly appreciate everyone's help with this.

What if I need to change the way my child gets home?

In the event you have a transportation change, please call the front office at 469-219-2230 prior to 2:30 pm. Please do not email your teacher due to there not being a guarantee they will get the message in time. All changes must be made through the front office prior to 2:30 pm.

Visiting Hughes: What Should I Do If I Need to Visit the School?

All visitors must sign in the front office with a driver’s license and wear a badge printed through our system in a visible location at all times. Please bring your ID every time you visit the school or check out your child.
Please know that we require all visitors to our building to sign in using this system for the safety of our students. You will not be allowed in the building if you do not have your ID with you. (This does not apply to the first day of school-ONLY)

Medication

If your child will need medication administered during school hours, please be advised you will need to drop off medication and fill out the medication form prior to our nurse being able to administer it. Please contact our Nurse Shiplett at emshiplett@prosper-isd.net to schedule a time to drop off medication and all required documentation.

Volunteering at Hughes: How do I Volunteer?

PISD requires each parent volunteer to complete a background check form. In order for parents/guardians to attend field trips, volunteer at school, etc. this form must be completed at the beginning of each school year. The form can be found and completed on the Prosper ISD website by going to www.prosper-isd.net, click on Parents and then Volunteer Background Check.
The Hughes PTO has worked diligently to make it easy to join and get involved in the PTO for our Hughes Families. You can just join our PTO to help our school or there will also be many opportunities to volunteer. Please become a member of PTO the Hughes PTO Website

Technology:

No Chromebooks will go home for any grade levels this year. Students 2nd-5th will have one assigned to them in the classroom that they will use.
We are continue implementing a "Tech Free Thursday" at Hughes as much as possible. Technology is a wonderful resource. We are committed to lead students toward success and in doing so, it comes with teaching self regulation. In order to empower students to make choices without technology, our campus will have students offline on Thursdays. There are some exceptions to this, but for the most part, Thursday is our day of less technology.
Here is more information of Children and technology.

What Does Safety and Security Look Like at Hughes Elementary?

Every staff member has been trained about what to do in case of an emergency or active shooter.
Every exterior door has been examined by our maintenance staff and police department to ensure that automatic locking systems are operational. Our campus officer checks all of these doors and gates each day, more than once day.
Every classroom door is locked by default.
We have a Police Officer assigned to just our campus.
Please visit our Hughes Safety and Security website.

Safety Patrol for 4th and 5th Graders:

Safety Patrol provides leadership training for 4th and 5th Graders while supporting our campus and our Hughes community. Members assist with morning carpool, help students stay safe in our hallways, and represent Hughes as leaders on campus. If your child would like to participate in Safety Patrol, please complete the linked registration form below. If you completed the online form last May, you do not need to submit another form. The leadership skills developed in Safety Patrol help Hughes students develop independence and confidence, which help them shine in middle school. Thank you for supporting our campus and your child! Safety Patrol duties will begin on August 18th. Once registered, your child will receive a Google Classroom invite code to join the Safety Patrol class, where he or she can view the schedule for the year. You will also receive the rotating schedule so you can remind your child of the upcoming service. Typically, your child will serve on Safety Patrol for one week, approximately every 6 to 8 weeks. Students are permitted to serve at other times as well, in the event of a student absence or illness. Additional details can be found in the online form. If you would like your 4th or 5th grader to participate in Safety Patrol, please complete the online form linked here:
26-27 Hughes Online Safety Patrol Registration Form

Arrival and Dismissal at Hughes:

We're so excited for a great school year with your students. As we get ready for our first day, we wanted to send a few friendly reminders about our afternoon car line to make sure we can get everyone home safely and efficiently. These reminders are for all parents picking up students in the front or back carlines.

To help us, please remember to:

* Have your car tag hanging from your rearview mirror.

* Make sure nothing is covering your car tag, like air fresheners or other items hanging from your rearview mirror.

* Bring this year's car tag. Old tags won't be accepted.

* If you forget your car tag, you'll need to park and go to the front office with your photo ID to sign out your student. We know this can be inconvenient, but it's a critical safety measure for all our students.

*One car tag was given out at Meet the Teacher, but another one for grades K, 2, 3 and 4 will be coming home on the first day if you need a 2nd one.

For everyone's safety, please also remember to:

* Stay off your phone while in the car line. This helps you stay aware of your surroundings and keeps our staff and students safe.

* Be mindful of the weather. During rainy days, ensure your windshield wipers are working and that you're extra cautious since visibility can be poor.

* Pay attention to staff members who are directing traffic at all times. They're there to guide you and keep things moving smoothly.

We appreciate your cooperation in helping us make the car line a safe and quick process for everyone. We can't wait to see you all soon!

Students arriving by car may be dropped off in the front OR back car line, any grade level.
Students may be dropped off beginning at 7:25 AM with supervision in the classrooms. Students should not be dropped off prior to 7:25 am.
The main doors for the entrance and exit of students will be monitored by staff for student entry and dismissal.
Any students dropped off before the building is open will not be allowed inside the building. 7:25 is when the building opens.
Parents are welcome to walk their child(ren) to their class on the first day of school only. After that, students will walk in the building independently to their morning arrival locations.

Dismissal: *Please be patient on the first few days of school as we work out any issues.

Students will be dismissed at 3:10 p.m. Please be in the carline by 3:00 p.m. each day.
K - 2nd grade (older siblings of K -2nd grade students will be in the front) car line is located in the front of the building for dismissal.
The 3rd - 5th grade car line is located at the back of Hughes for dismissal (see-attached map).
Bike riders and walkers will be dismissed from the west gym entrance or the east art room entrance. K-1 MUST have a parent pick up from the walker area.
Please do not park in the Hughes parking lot, if your child is a walker. If you are parking you will be asked to go through the carline. Walkers are walking home with an adult or meeting an adult at another location.

Important Upcoming Dates:

August 11th: First Day of School 7:25 a.m.!
Cheers and Tears Breakfast for Kindergarten parents- August 11th, Hughes library 7:25--8:00 a.m.
August 26th: Hearing and VIsion Screenings at Hughes
September 2nd- No School for students/Professional Development day for Staff
September 3rd-18th: PTO Fundraiser (More info to come soon!!)

Connect with us:

Hughes website
Facebook: Like the Hughes Elementary School and the Hughes Elementary PTO page

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at anytime with any questions, concerns, or celebrations! Email me at jiroberds@prosper-isd.net

We cannot wait to get the year started!

In partnership,

Julia Roberds, M.Ed.

Jim and Betty Hughes Elementary, Principal

***PLEASE NOTE: During AM Arrival, we ask if it all possible to NOT turn right out of the front or back carline. This is for the safety of our children walking through the crosswalk on Prestwick Hollow Dr. As traffic slows down, we may change this, but for now PLEASE adhere to this.

If you are coming from west side from Coit Rd, use the back carline. If you are coming from the east side of the school, please use front carline. Thank you for helping with following these instructions.

PM Dismissal remains the same.

**New This Year: Dismissal for car riders will be Kindergarten-2nd grade (with older siblings) in the front carline and

3rd-5th grades in the back carline